MARKET SUNDAY

MEET THE VENDOR

Sprout Wellness

The natural skin care market is a burgeoning one these days, but with all those new choices out there, how is one to decide what to buy... hmmm.... what are the factors most would weigh in the hunt for the perfect product that is also perfect for the world?

Does the average all natural lotion/face wash/chapstick/shampoo/toner do this?

clean? check.

smell yummy? check.

moisturize? check.

all natural? check.

BUT does is also...

leave a tiny carbon footprint? probably not.

Meet Sprout, a local, adorable, vegan beauty line I stumbled upon at Artists and Fleas in Williamsburg.

It started with a chapstick. With only ten bucks left after a hefty spending day (sunny days make me want to shop, dont ask) I came across Adina's table at Artists and Fleas and decided that vegan chapstick would probably be a good way to spend my last few bucks. Needless to say the lip balm (containing only organic cocoa butter, organic extra virgin olive oil, and local candelilla wax) worked wonders on my sunburnt lips. Then I started sampling Adina's other products while we chatted a bit about her company and Sprout's mission.

Made right in her BK apt and sold down the street at a few green vendors, Sprout is one of those homegrown and simple endeavors that make we want jump up and down. Not only is it made from super organic ingredients, but a product like this is the ultimate holy grail for consumers who are equally concerned with a product's manufacturing and travel history. Purchasing quality local things gives me a kind of simple joy and satisfaction that has replaced my old "isn't this so cool it's all the way from [enter random exotic location]" sensation. You know it hasn't been sitting on a freight or in a warehouse, it didn't use tons of fuel to travel obscene distances, it wasn't made by underpaid workers in unhealthy conditions. I was just made by a girl in her kitchen who probably had a lot of fun doing it.

So far I've tried the citrus lip balm and the all-over-cream. Both felt like heaven and smelled awesome. You can literally hear your skin sighing. As the daughter of a dermatologist, I've been a guinea pig for skin care products my entire life, and I can honestly say Sprout holds its own. I will definitely be stalking Adina for weekends to come, learning more about her company and completing my dilapidated skin care collection. If you live in New York, you can too, but if not, follow her here.

*Note to curious readers, the sugar scrub will tempt you to eat it, and although possible, it is not recommended.